Ships log for the yacht "Sparrow" an Ian Anderson designed 'Hurley 20', sail no. 109, launched 16th November 1967.
This is the day to day stuff involved with owning and sailing a small boat, so nothing earth shattering but there'll also hopefully be some adventures along the way..

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Friday, 13 December 2013

That was the year that was... 2013

Time for what is now my traditional review of the year past; I really enjoy putting it together as it's a good excuse to read all the old posts, and look at the video and pictures from this years logs.... I would say that it's been an "OK" year but it's not been a classic. The summer was one of the best we've had in ages, but despite that it seems to me the sailing days were either windless, or too windy!

This was my first year as owner of Sparrow so it was a bit of a learning curve - in many ways a blank canvas boat is a wonderful thing, but it also means the job lists can be huge as you work towards putting together the boat you want as quickly as possible... I'd also say I got a bit of harbour'itis as I really should have been out in the Solent by now, but as it was I didn't even get to the West Pole! That will change next year

Day before launch - click again for slightly bigger view of any of the pictures in this post

The summers big project was the re-rig of the standing rigging which went well but took longer than I'd thought - it was however done very well and I was really pleased with the standard and quality of the work. Even so, that lost me a couple of weeks right in the middle of summer (and about 30 or so cruising miles missed)

I had a couple of occasions where the engine conked out - happily, not in a situation I couldn't cope with, but it's always worrying for a mechanical numpty - I don't like to think what would have happened if I had had the problem while doing those delivery trips to have the rigging done.... on the plus side, I now know about Easy Start (and for the first time heard about "Start Ya Bastard" [clicky]), I now have a spare plug (and more importantly I know where to put it), and I sailed back on to the mooring.... oh yes....

So all in all that rates as an OK'ish year.... 7, oh go on then 7.5, out of 10..

Like a spider dipped in blue ink and left to wander all over Google Earth - here's where Sparrow went this year:

...and the following in "Ami-Ly" this summer on the Jolly Boys Outing

No cross Channel trip as we'd hoped (weather
casualty) but a brilliant weekend - highlights being my first trip up the Beaulieu river...

...and the hunted look on Rod's face when he thought a lady was chasing him in Cowes....

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Number of visits down to the boat: 19 (6 more than last year on "Papillon") but once again if you count all the times I visited in the mornings/evenings while she was on shore (usually two to three times a week), and the days I worked on her pre-season, and the cups of tea visits (and pot noodle visits!) - easily triple that...

Total distance sailed: 113.73 miles, which compares with 173.29 miles last year, and 193.41 miles in 2011, 154.23 miles in
2010 and 125 miles in 2009... a poor year - harbour'itis struck and that always does for your mileage..

Nights on board: None - but that will change as Sparrow is far more comfortable than Papillon...

Crew on occasion: None - youngest is good company and was turning into a more confidant helm... but she tells me sailing is "boring"...

Cruising range:
The mooring in the west, Emsworth to the north, Bosham/Itchenor in the East and the Bar Beacon to the south..

Biggest Cruise:Snowhill [clicky] on a lovely cheeky day off, mid-week.... (just shy of 15 miles on one tide!)... a beautiful day full of good sailing......

Best Cruise: Choices choices...Snowhill possibly, or the day out with my sister [clicky] (not laughed so much in ages as I did the moment the tiller got stuck in her pocket mid-tack) but for the sake of diversity I'm going to go with the delivery trip from Bosham [clicky]- lots of chuckles with "Coral" Paul, cold, but also stunning speed, some sunshine and lots and lots of breeze.. errrrr bracing.....!

Best anchorages: None... didn't anchor this year again... really need
to do something about that, I've never anchored in all the years I've sailed! Part of the problem of course is that everywhere I sail there
are huge numbers of empty moorings so there's little need but I can't help thinking a bit of practice might help...

Best mooring: ...my club mooring continues to be a delight; water 3.5+ hours either side of high tide... my trip into Emsworth Yacht Harbour was my first time on a pontoon with Sparrow, and the access to electricity and water was cracking - I could get used to it ...

Worst mooring: None on Sparrow... but that one off Seaview on the last day of the jolly boys outing was very uncomfortable..

Plans for next year: Solent.... pure and simple...... I fancy either Bembridge or Seaview (depending on wind/wave direction), The Nab and Cowes... then there was talk of a jolly boys outing to Cherbourg next year, but in a bigger boat which would be good!